The troublesome season of Tottenham Hotspur has taken a further dramatic twist when the club captain, Cristian Romero, came out publicly to apologise to the fans as he seemingly directed the club leadership on their perceived silence over the current slump. The Argentine defender voiced an opinion after the 3-2 loss in the Premier League in Bournemouth, which further increased the alarming streak of Spurs form.
Their half of the table has only two more league wins in the past 12 games and this has seen Thomas Frank and his side endure mounting fan discontent. The moments of fans who attacked players at the end of the game confirmed the tension in the club.
The message conveyed by Romero on social media was very delicate in terms of accountability and criticism. Although this was made to appear as he took the blame on behalf of the players, he implied that other people in the club could also address the public on difficult times. The remarks were quickly removed and republished in a watered down version although the message was not missed.
The episode follows a period of continued uncertainty on a boardroom level. Daniel Levy resigned as chairman earlier this season and although the current team has chosen a new chief executive, the ownership group of Tottenham has remained relatively silent on the issue of the crisis.
Frank subsequently admitted to approach the matter with Romero directly in conjunction with sporting director Johan Lange. The defender was a dedicated yet inexperienced leader, according to the manager, and errors may occur when he is emotional.
In the meantime, the list of injured players in Tottenham is expanding. Rodrigo Bentancur was affected by a hamstring menace, Lucas Bergvall was taken off and Mohammed Kudus is still ruled out until after the March international break. Through the absences of key players and the buildup or strain on and off the field, Spurs are in a defining season that may determine the rest of its season.
